Sand and Sorrows
by shellalana
Summary: Gaige feels alone in Sanctuary, yet finds some solace in an unexpected person.


To say that circumstances brought them all together was a bit of an understatement, but it was their similarities and differences that kept them together and built them into a cohesive unit that filled in all the niches they needed to make a perfect team. The Siren's powers, Zer0's penchant for stealth and taking out targets from a distance... even Axton and Salvador had found some shared interest when it came to guns, though neither would admit to the merit of the other's gun manufacturer of choice.

But for the young mechromancer, there was very little in common she had with the adults. Being the youngest, despite being of age, capable of drinking and swearing like the rest of them, there were still awkward barriers constructed between them. She was one to be protected, the "little sister" who didn't have as much real-world experience as the rest of them. An unwanted role despite having Death-Trap at her side, clawing down their enemies before them. She'd even resorted to boasting and bragging about experiences she'd never had, just to feel like one of the group. But underneath it all, she was still trying to figure out boys and girls, and whatever else seemed to meet her interests. And Pandora was one of the strangest places for her to figure out what those were.

That was where she found herself, sitting outside of Moxxi's bar, taking a break from the drinking and boisterous laughing pouring out the doors. She thought the bartender would have been able to offer some insight, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise, not with her other patrons vying for her attention. Perhaps later, when the bar emptied out and went quiet would Gaige consider reentering and asking her for some advice. But for now, she was going to sit on the steps, wishing she hadn't drank so much. Drunk thoughts were never healthy, she found, as they seemed to needle away at the things she wished would stay buried.

Missing her parents. Her home. Any chance finding redemption and getting of this filthy rock. She hid them behind smiles and awful jokes, just so the others wouldn't pry. They'd made it clear where she stood with them, and their mothering would only make matters worse.

It was when she stood up to dust off her knees did she see the hulking mass of walking muscle to her left, the one who called himself Krieg. He, too, sat alone in the cool night air, the blade of his buzz axe pinging off the concrete steps leading up to the bar. The slow, trancelike swings meant he was likely bored out of his mind, since he hadn't been inside with the others. He'd chosen, instead, to exile himself out here. Too much noise, too many people, and the intoxicating smells would have sent him over the edge with overstimulation.

"Hey, big guy. You alright?" She shuffled her way down the few steps to sit beside him, pulling up the zipper of her jacket to keep out the chilly air of the floating city. She'd never been afraid of him, even with his mad ramblings, bloodlust, and powers of mutation. They'd been through too much together for that fear to have sunk in, and he'd proven himself to be reliable in the stickiest of situations. He did more good than harm, and even when he "fell off the wagon," so to speak, it was mostly directed at himself. Self-inflicted wounds that quieted his mind and left him somber.

A deep growl rolled through him in response, the metal tapping pausing as his single exposed eye rolled in its orbit to meet her face. It was the fiery girl with the metal friend. She'd dared to come closer, despite everyone else's wariness. What could she stand to gain from such an encounter, except more-

"ALL THAT GLITTERS DOES NOT TARNISH!" he bellowed into the night. Many of those who were still wondering the streets at this hour turned their heads in surprise before hurrying off to their destinations. He didn't care; he was used to that reaction, and was even glad for it as the night returned to its usual peace and quiet. Then he went back to chipping away at the step he sat on.

"I know what you mean." She honestly didn't, but she was going to run with his given answer if it gave her the opportunity to get her concerns out. Though Krieg wasn't one to voice his thoughts coherently, it didn't mean that he didn't understand. In fact, he was probably a better listener than everyone else.

She took a seat beside him, her face in her hands as she stared off into the middle distance.

"I used to think coming to Pandora was the best thing. I get to be on my own, away from rules and that stupid Marcie. No more school. No more rules. And then... it all turned into the pile of shit. Everything wants to kill you, and the people you think're your friends..." Betray you. She couldn't get the words out, not with the emotional wounds still fresh in her mind. It had pained her to see what an asshole father would do to his own kid...

"I'm starting to doubt coming here was a good thing. Everyone still treats me like some kind of... kid. And it's so annoying." She kicked at what dust the winds had carried up from the planet, pursing her lips in a pout.

He stared back at her unblinking and trying to make sense of what she was saying. He didn't know what he could do to rectify her situation - his buzzaxe slicing through some raw meat wouldn't do it - so he hunched his shoulders and sighed heavily before shoving his free hand into his pocket.

"TREASURE TROVES IN THE TRASH! THE BIGGEST SHOVELS FIND THE PRIZE!" He extracted his hand and unfurled his large fingers to reveal his comb. Why he kept it, he didn't know, but _that part_ of himself kept reminding him that it was important.

Gaige ran an oil-smudged finger along the teeth of it before glancing up at his scarred, bald head, grinning at the state of it. He really had no need for it any longer, yet he still kept it. She got what he was trying to say. Or at least, she was making her best guess.

"... I guess you're right, it's the small things that matter. The ones you find and keep for yourself, even if it looks like garbage to someone else." Her hand drifted to the necklace of screws and fondled at the cool metal. She might have left her home behind to come to this hellhole, but there were things here too that made her current stay not so bad.

"Thanks, big guy." She knocked on the side of his helmet in gratitude, glad that she'd had to the chance to voice her concerns to someone even though they were worlds apart. It was the isolation that gave them some common ground to work with, setting them apart from the other Vault Hunters who couldn't understand their unique situations.

The others stumbled out sometime later, their arms around each other to stop themselves from falling over with inebriation. Their laughter and drunken slurring filled the air with merriment, and they all but rolled down the stairs as they made their way back to the HQ, completely ignoring two of their own. Krieg didn't care one bit, but it pissed Gaige off, to no avail. Her gaze burned into the back of their heads as they faded into the night, leaving them again to silence and her bitterness. But there was only so much of it she could take. Even with the alcohol in her system, she thrived on anarchy, chaos, and destroying as much shit as possible. Not that much different from the lumbering psycho at her side. And now would be a better time than any to work off the rest of her frustrations.

"Hey... you wanna go shoot some stuff? Great way to burn off all that booze, and you look like you're itching for something."

Krieg wasn't one to turn down the offer of spilling some blood, and a chuckle resonated in his chest as he stood.

 _Do you always have to yell? She's gonna get sick of that real quick, and then who'll you talk to?_

"CELEBRATION WITH CONFETTI SINEWS AND PARTY HAT SKULLS!" He raised his mighty weapon into the air with a huff, hot air billowing around around his mask and quickly turning to steam as he stormed off towards the Fast Travel. Gaige followed in tow, glad for the distraction of a fight as well as keeping him from getting bored.

The stretched-out feeling of the Fast Travel was one Gaige would never get used to as it spat her out on the other side. She hung off the transportation kiosk, feeling a tad jealous that it hadn't seemed to affect her large friend in the slightest. He was already off and running in the direction of whatever enemies he could see, kicking up the snow and ice in his wake. His name was on her lips, but she thought better of it. For one, it wouldn't have done much good, and two, she was still doubled over from nausea. More time on her hands and an endless amount of cash, and she would be able to find some way to improve that infernal travel system.

By the time she'd caught up to him, he was covered in the wings and guts of varkids, the air still filled with their screeching and the wet popping of their mutation sacs. Temptation begged her to sit back and watch the show, but she'd been the one to invite him here and it was only fair that she joined in on the revelry.

Her excited screams and yells soon joined his, and DeathTrap's eye laser was zapping everything in sight, lighting up their surroundings. To say it was fun would have been an understatement, and they were winded by the time they'd cleared a path all the way to the solitary farmhouse. They had even left a few Super Badass varkids in their wake, their abdomens angrily split open by buzzaxe and digistruct claws alike.

Dropping down to the safety of the underground shelter of the burned-out building, their chests heaved with stale air, breathlessly chuckling as if they'd just shared a secret joke. Gaige shook the bug yuck from her metal hand, and curled the fingers into a fist. Krieg only stared at the offered gesture, wordless and confused.

"C'mon, it's a fist bump. You're supposed to... ugh, just make a fist."

That was easy enough for him to do, the large meaty tarsals curling together and mirrored hers. Then she bumped her knuckles against his before wiggling her fingers apart, making a soft explosion noise with her mouth.

"See? It's something you do with a buddy when you've done something cool."

"BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR! BOOM!" He tried to mimic her actions, but they were more exaggerated than she expected. "WE ARE NOW CHILL BUDDIES, BOSOMS OF THE ICE AND SNOW!"

"Haha, yeah, sure!" She couldn't help but grin at his antics, still riding on the high of the fight. She made another fist, hoping to teach him this new trick so that he wouldn't be confused about it in the future, and pulled her hand out of the way at the last second. That left him high and dry and confused; that wasn't how the game was supposed to be played. Still, he laughed at the sudden surprise of it all, which only became more raucous with each repeated attempt and miss of the fist bump game. Soon, they were nothing more than a giggling mess on the floor, their sides aching too much to continue standing.

It was exactly what Gaige needed to get over her doldrums, even with the tears streaming down her face. But they were from a place of joy instead of worry, and the large psycho's imposing presence certainly made it a lot easier to laugh, especially with his deep rolling laughs. His unbridled nature and lack of civility meant he didn't have to hide behind white lies to get what he wanted or needed. He was raw and exposed, and gave so much of himself for the rest of the other Vault Hunters, mostly without a thank you.

She smeared the tears off her face with her hands as she rolled onto her side, watching him lie in the dirt. His chest heaved with the continued rumbling chuckles as he grabbed handfuls of dust and tossed it into the air. Sounds of explosions echoed out of his mask with each careless throw, much of the dust floating back down to resettle and stick to his sheen of sweat. There was something pleasant and peaceful about watching him, that someone so murderous could be pure in their amusement. It was enough to bring a smile to her face as she shifted herself closer and planted a kiss on the side of his mask.

"Thanks, big guy."

He stopped in mid-throw, completely confused by the gesture. No one had ever shown him such affection before, much less even dared to touch his mask. His eye widened, shifted to where she lay, his fists of dusts unfurling to release their packages onto his masked face. His stare lasted longer than she'd expected, and she was starting to feel uncomfortable with all this silence. His fists fell to the floor and smeared what dust remained onto his pants before he made a grab for her face.

"LONG AS MY EXILE, SWEET AS MY REVENGE!" He pressed his mask against her mouth, begging for another of those kisses that had taken his breath away. She obliged him, though her face was crushed against his mask, making it difficult to purse her mouth properly. Sputtering against it, she tapped at his hands, hoping it would loosen his grip and let her come up for air.

"How about we try this without the mask in the way?" She wiggled her jaw, positive there were large circular bruises along her cheeks, but the last thing she was going to do was blame him for them. She tucked her fingers under the edge of the mark, and hesitated as she saw him visibly stiffen.

She's just trying to take it off, stupid.

Krieg was uncomfortable with the idea; he'd found sanctuary behind the mask, separating himself from those around him so that they'd know to keep their distance. It served as his safety barrier between the real world and that of his mind, a wall to keep the others safe. And here she wanted to remove it and see what lay underneath, the monster that he and everyone else deemed him to be.

Seeing his apprehension, she removed her fingers and found the top of his head instead, caressing the smooth, sweaty skin in small circles.

"Never figured you to be one of the shy ones." She gave him an awkward smile and a wink, realizing that he was just as guarded as she was, hiding behind his own things to keep him safe and comfortable. So she scraped up some of the dirt from the floor between her fingers and tossed it lightly at his mask.

That was enough to send him into another fit of giggles as he resumed his demonstration of "fireworks," rambling on about fire and explosions and bombs.


End file.
